Bob Champion: The National treasure who keeps on running | Sport | The Guardian The Observer Bob Champion: The National treasure who keeps on running Jockey who defied cancer to win world's greatest steeplechase and inspire a movie explains his love of Aintree and the battle to stay healthy 30 years on from his finest hour Bob Champion has had to contend with heart attacks as well as the cancer that struck him down before his Grand National win. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Observer Saturday 2 April 2011 19.17 EDT First published on Saturday 2 April 2011 19.17 EDT Share on Messenger Close Idea for a movie. A jockey who is told he will be dead in eight months unless he signs up to treatment with a 35-40% success rate wins the Grand National on a horse who was so badly injured in one of his races that the vet suggested a bullet was the only answer. Too late. Already been done. John Hurt played the rider in a 1983 film. But the tale kept rolling after Bob Champion passed the Aintree finishing post on Aldaniti, 30 years ago this week.

It kept going into a new realm of illness, and defiance, and a fund-raising drive against cancer that provided Champion with a second act in life to surpass the first. We are in the kitchen of the yard in Findon, West Sussex, where Aldaniti was trained by Josh Gifford to defy outlandish odds. The 1981 National winner was a talented ex-crock who had restored his Aintree candidacy by trotting up at Ascot in a major trial. Champion had been ravaged by an early form of chemotherapy and was lucky still to be alive, never mind jumping Becher's Brook. He looks healthy now: nowhere near his 62 years. But to get to Liverpool on Saturday, for the Bob Champion Aintree Legends Charity Race, in which a dozen National-winning ex-jockeys will compete, Aldaniti's former partner had to survive a second heart attack three weeks ago: 10 years to the day, spookily, after his first. As soft rain falls on the Downs where Nick Gifford took over from his father, Josh, Champion updates his story: "I speak on cruise ships a bit, and I'd come back from Barbados to a really busy week.

I went to Stafford that night for the cancer trust, then to a meeting in London, then down to Hove to a dinner, then up to Whitby, then Harrogate. I was knackered when I got home. "A couple of days later I was at home in bed at one o'clock in the morning and had these chest pains. I knew what it was. Thankfully. I had some spray from the first heart attack but I'd never used it. It was 10 years out of date. I sprayed it under my tongue and that saved a lot of damage. "I've got a couple of stents [artificial tubes] in there now and the surgeons ballooned the other vessels. It was the same day I had the heart attack 10 years ago – so I'm not going to go to bed in 10 years' time. I might go and park outside the hospital." Champion attributes his heart trouble to the effects of his treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 1979: "The chemo was very barbaric in those days and it did affect my lungs.

There's no way I can say it gave me the heart attack but some of the vessels were injured by the treatment in those days. I'm alive, that's the main thing. I wouldn't have been without the treatment." Hurt's character was living the life in a previous golden generation of National Hunt riders. People talk these days of a special crop – AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh and the rest – but Champion's contemporaries were also vivid figures on winter's landscape. "I rode with some really good jockeys. People like John Francome, Jonjo O'Neill, Ron Barry, Bob Davies: all great champions," he says. "Racing's changed. AP has more than a thousand rides a year. John Francome – fantastic jockey – was lucky if he got 400. They've got to be fitter now – or they should be. They're more professional. We enjoyed life. But they're at it seven days a week. They're breathalysed. They can't really let themselves go on a Saturday night. We'd have a Saturday night out." But all this crashed with the cancer diagnosis. Jump racing steeled itself to say goodbye.

Gifford, though, delivered a psychological gift, promising Champion his job as stable jockey would be waiting for him, even though he doubted that would be the outcome. "They gave me six to eight months to live. If I'd had the cancer 18 months before there'd have been no cure anyway, so I'd have been a goner," Champion says. "It was eight months to live – or a 35-40% chance of living, with the treatment. The odds weren't particularly good. I didn't want to die. But I didn't realise until they started pumping the stuff in how toxic it was. Jesus, I felt so ill after two days. It was horrendous treatment. Thankfully now we've gone from 35-40% to 95% on testicular cancer alone [with early diagnosis]. So that's how far we've come. "Some days you'd rather be dead. I got septicaemia half-way through the treatment. You think you're drifting away and feel relief. Then they change your blood, get you up and you start the whole thing all over again. "Josh always said my job was there. I know he never really thought I'd live.

But he kept giving me the confidence, which I needed. I started riding out when I came out of hospital, but I couldn't breathe. My lungs had been damaged and the weather was cold, which made it hurt more; so I went to the States, to South Carolina, where the weather was nice and warm. It made things easier. I spent eight months there." Champion's first post-cancer winner was on the Flat in Florida in May, 1980, but resuming over jumps in Britain was gruelling, and peppered by setbacks. But by Christmas, Champion was back in the groove. He had never given up on Aldaniti as a National contender, despite the animal's two serious tendon injuries and fractured hock. He says: "He was a horse I'd always said would win a National one day. I'd been associated with horses who had gone on and won Nationals. I won the Eider Chase on Highland Wedding before he won at Aintree. I rode Rag Trade in his first race over fences. I used to look after Rubstic, who won a National. They all gave me this same feel. They had a low head carriage, were well balanced and were all good jumpers.

"He [Aldaniti] broke down so many times. The last time it happened, at Sandown, it was very bad and the vets wanted to put him down. But he was such a great patient. He stood in a box for six months in plaster. That's hard for a horse. After that Nick Embiricos [his owner] did all the road work. He came back into the yard on 1 January and Josh rode him out every day himself. He thought it was the only way he was going to get him to Liverpool. Josh has terrific hands, because the old horse used to pull very hard. If Josh hadn't ridden him every day he might not have got there. "When the old horse went to Ascot for the Whitbread Trial he was 16-1 but he absolutely bolted up. He never came off the bridle. I thought – if he's as good as that on the day, that's good enough for the National, in my book. He went from 66-1 for the National to 14-1 so he must have been pretty impressive." Champion refers to Aldaniti as "the old horse" a lot. Their lives, even now, are inseparable.

In the race, Aldaniti, a 10-1 shot, beat Spartan Missile, ridden by an amateur, Mr John Thorne, who was killed a year later in a point-to-point. Even in its aftermath the 1981 Grand National was redemptive and tragic by turns. "From the moment I went by the post everything seemed to change in my life – for good and bad, I suppose," Champion says. "I was still a professional jockey, though. I had to ride in a race an hour later. Part of the job. And I'm glad I did. It should have won, but it didn't. "Every time I tried to have a glass of champagne the press took it off me for the photograph. The first drink I had was a can of Coke on the motorway going back. Made up for it the next night, though." Champion trained for a while but his cancer trust became more consuming: "I don't know how long we believed it would go for, but it got bigger, and we've got our own research laboratory, which has been very successful. Our next target is prostate.

One in 10 men get prostrate cancer now and hopefully we'll come up with the goods there." After the race 30 years ago Champion and Aldaniti stayed together: "I used to see him regularly because he did so much for the cancer trust. Holyrood Castle, Buckingham Palace. He used to go up in the lift at big stores. Terrific temperament. He was wonderful with the public – a nice kind horse who loved the attention." Aldaniti died of a heart attack in 1997, aged 27. This is one of those National stories (the greatest of them all, to this day) that expresses the full human and equine grandeur of the challenge. The contest itself is a metaphor for what Aldaniti and Champion overcame to be there in the first place, never mind win. No wonder he is almost ever-present on Grand National day: "I've only missed one in 40 years – and that was because I had the first heart attack, 10 years ago. I rode in 10. I love going up there. I always walk down to The Chair. It brings back memories. I love the Liverpool people. They go there and they enjoy themselves.

"That's what I like to see." The Bob Champion Cancer Trust is at bobchampion.org.uk Champions Celebrates a Jockey's Long-Shot Double: He Beat Cancer, Then Won the Grand National Champions Celebrates a Jockey's Long-Shot Double: He Beat Cancer, Then Won the Grand National Email Bob Champion has a way with horses and women, but both have brought him grief. In 1979, while riding a promising gelding named Fury Boy in a steeplechase in England, he was thrown when the horse fell at a fence. Jumping to his feet, Champion went to the aid of the flailing animal. In his struggle Fury Boy lashed out and kicked Champion in the groin. Even so, the jockey remounted and he and Fury Boy finished the race. Later Champion noticed a swelling in his left testicle. He thought nothing of it—racing luck, he said—until a female veterinarian told him to get it looked at. How did she know? Simple. They had gone to bed together. Champion was in for a shock.

The doctor who performed surgery to remove the testicle told the rider that he had a form of cancer called malignant teratoma, which has a 75 percent survival rate. “I wanted to die,” says Champion, 35, who thought his racing career was over. But he recovered after six months of chemotherapy during which his hair fell out and he lost 42 of his 160 pounds. Now, four years later, Champion’s struggle has been immortalized in a movie called, appropriately enough, Champions, which will be released in the U.S. this spring. The movie, which an English reviewer called Stirrups of Fire, stars British actor John (Midnight Express) Hurt as Champion and documents the climax of his long fight to beat cancer: In 1981, after being unable to ride or even exercise strenuously for nearly a year, he won the Grand National at Aintree, England, a steeplechase event roughly equivalent in stature to the Kentucky Derby in this country. And he did it aboard a horse named Aldaniti, who more than three years before had suffered a fracture of his right hind leg so severe that the vets had recommended he be destroyed.

Champion was raised around horses in Yorkshire, where his father organized fox hunts. At 19, Bob turned pro and soon earned a reputation as a tough, reliable jumping rider. In the 1977-78 season he was the third-leading jockey in England with 56 winners. Champion says two things brought him through his siege with cancer—a promise by trainer and mentor Josh Gifford that he, Champion would be his rider when and if he recovered, and a visit to the children’s ward at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where he was being treated. “I don’t know if the thought of cancer is as bad for kids as it is for us,” he says now. “But I knew that I had to have a go at surviving to show them it could be done.” Barely 15 months after he stopped chemotherapy—he still goes to the hospital for periodic checkups—Champion and Aldaniti won the 4½-mile, 30-jump Grand National at 10 to 1. (In 1982 Champion and the valiant 12-year-old once again teamed up for the Grand National.

Lightning did not strike twice: Aldaniti fell at the first fence and never raced again.) Now retired and training horses in Wiltshire, Champion is grateful to be alive. Ironically, others associated with the man and his movie have been less fortunate. One of his doctors, Alun Thomas, died of cancer in 1981. And just before the filming of Champions, John Hurt’s common-law wife of 14 years, Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, an accomplished horsewoman, was thrown and killed in a riding accident. Although shattered, Hurt made the film. “Marie-Lise would have kicked me to kingdom come with her riding boots” if he didn’t do it, says Hurt. The hardnosed, hard-living Champion could only shake his head and say admiringly, “He’s one of Britain’s best actors.” In 1981 Champion married Jo Bestwick, a former jockey, and against the odds the couple was able to have a baby, Michael, now 5 months old. Jo, 28, feels nothing but gratitude for the vet who recommended Bob go to a doctor. “I hope he thanked her,” she says laughing. Not likely.

When it comes to women, Champion’s attitude is uncompromising. He doesn’t think they’re strong enough to ride competitively—which is why Jo’s an ex-jockey—and he doesn’t want a filly of his own. “We wouldn’t mind another child,” he says, “as long as it wasn’t a girl.” “I’d like a girl,” Jo protests. “I wouldn’t sleep at night until she was about 16,” says Champion with finality. Apparently, intimations of mortality have mellowed the old race rider very little, if at all. Show Full Article Bob Champion and Aldaniti - Grand National Legends Tips Jockey Bob Champion overcame impossible odds to achieve his dreams. His determination and dedication continue to inspire athletes many years after his famous Grand National win. Champion, born in Yorkshire, England in 1948, was surrounded by riders and hunters from the very beginning. His father was an avid huntsman who took young Bob riding frequently. These early experiences instilled in him the love of horses and riding that would eventually carry him to a Grand National triumph. At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race.

After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. His skill in the saddle won him plenty of races, as well as respect. He also proved skilful with the ladies too. His tempestuous love affairs were well-known and sometimes amusing to those around him. Champion tried his luck racing in America and enjoyed success. Though his career really took off back to Britain, where he had dreams of winning the Grand National. He raced over the famous Aintree fences eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life was about to take a major detour. In 1979, Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In true Champion fashion, Bob refused to believe that his doctors were correct. He stubbornly insisted that there was a mistake in the diagnosis. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live. The diagnosis wasn’t wrong. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live, with only a 40 percent chance of survival. In the late 1970s, survival rates in Britain for many forms of cancer were 50% lower than today. Things looked grim, but he was given a second chance.

An extremely aggressive program of chemotherapy, if begun immediately, might just beat the odds. Champion agreed to begin the treatment the very same day. Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer and told that they will most likely die within months would take some time away from work. Not Bob Champion. He returned to training and racing while still in treatment and set his sights on winning the 1980 Grand National. Unfortunately, Champion’s treatment had not been easy on his body. A large-scale infection nearly claimed his life and he was forced to put off his Grand National ambitions temporarily. Champion was soon recovering from his various hardships and back in training. In 1981, he rode Aldaniti in the Grand National. The two were a perfect pair: both hard-working, stubborn and recovering from serious health problems. Champion’s cancer and Aldaniti’s three leg injuries caused some to speculate that the team would be lucky to get round the course, nevermind win! However, even before the start of the race the public had taken Champion and Aldaniti to heart and backed the duo into 10/1 second favourites narrowly behind the favourite Spartan Missile who went off at 8/1.

The two survivors melded on the Aintree Racecourse that April day in 1981. Their victory is one of the most memorable and emotional moments ever to be recorded in horse racing. Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history. TV Commentator Peter O’Sullevan described the finish of the race to those watching… “It’s Aldaniti in the lead but being pressed now by Spartan Missile. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile and here comes John Thorne, 54 year old John Thorne putting in a storming finish. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile. Aldaniti is gonna win it, at the line, Aldaniti wins the National!” You can watch Bob winning the Grand National below… Bob continued to race and win until 1983. By that time, he had approximately 500 wins to his credit. After leaving racing, he focused his energy on training horses and running the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The charity has raised millions of pounds for cancer research and Champion continues to raise funds for it to this day.

They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump. Although Aldaniti died in 1997 and Bob Champion retired from training horses in 1999, they are both legends of the horse racing world. Their legacy is a sense of hope for all those who follow in their paths. They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump. If you think Bob is amazing and would like to support his fantastic work fighting Cancer then check out his website – The Bob Champion Cancer Trust . BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Grand National | Aintree legend bounces back Saturday, 31 March, 2001, 00:06 GMT 01:06 UK Aintree legend bounces back Finest hour: Champion after his 1981 success Exclusive by BBC Sport Online's Frank Keogh Legendary Grand National-winning jockey Bob Champion is on the mend after suffering a heart attack in March.

The rider won the hearts of millions around the world by beating cancer to win the Aintree marathon on Aldaniti in 1981. He was due to give talks and attend functions in Liverpool ahead of this year's National on 7 April to mark the 20th anniversary of his win. But Champion suffered a mild heart attack on 17 March and was admitted to Addenbrookes Hospital near Cambridge. Now recovering at his Newmarket home, Champion told BBC Sport Online he still wants to make it to Aintree this time around. Every day I feel a little bit better and a little bit stronger Bob Champion "The recovery is coming on OK. I feel a lot better than I did a couple of weeks ago," said the 52-year-old. "Every day, I feel a little bit better and a little stronger. You can't rush it - I do as much as I can and then rest." While in hospital, the quietly-spoken former jockey received hundreds of cards from well-wishers. Champion's heartwarming victory in 1981 on a horse with fragile legs was the kind of feat you would only expect to see at the movies.

And indeed a film of the tale, entitled Champions, later starred John Hurt as the rider. Recalling the movie, Champion said: "I warmed to it. John did a very good job as well as all the other actors and actresses. Bob Champion with Aldaniti in 1997 "Hopefully, it gave people suffering from illnesses a lot of hope." Aldaniti, who beat Spartan Missile ridden by 54-year-old jockey John Thorne in the National, was a motivating factor for Champion to fight testicular cancer. "I did fancy the horse an awful lot and he did go and win," said Champion. "I always thought he was a horse that would win a National - that's why it was my main goal to get back. He was a decent horse when he was sound. "I was always travelling very well throughout the race. I was always very confident of winning especially going out into the country on the second circuit. "But I was worried about his legs - he had legs like glass. "When I got to the winning post it was relief more than anything else. "It was marvellous.

But I had to do all the interviews with the Press and everything , so never really got a chance to celebrate until we were in the car going back to Wiltshire." Grand National, 1981 The Bob Champion Cancer Trust The Bob Champion Cancer Trust How it all began After Bob Champion and Aldaniti won the 1981 Grand National, "racing's greatest fairytale" led to the foundation in 1983 of The Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The Bob Champion Cancer Trust supports and raises funds for the Bob Champion Cancer Research Laboratory, which forms part of the largest male dedicated research facility in Europe... Read More... Latest News Over 600 members of the public applied to ride in the Champions Willberry Charity Race at Cheltenham, the Home of Jump Racing on Thursday 20 April 2017. Read more... Scientific News Supporting the work of Professor Ros Eeles The ICR are grateful to the Trustees of The Bob Champion Cancer Trust for their long-term support of male cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and most recently, a pledge to support the work of Professor Ros Eeles. Read more...

Professor Colin Cooper and his laboratory have been responsible for identifying cancer genes involved in the development of sarcomas, kidney cancer and, bladder cancer. Read more... champions_screenshots Director.................................................................John Irvin CAST When British jockey Bob Champion is struck down with cancer in the prime of his career, his desire to live is determined by one promise: that on recovery he would ride *John Burke won the Grand National on Rag Trade in 1976, beating the great Red Rum into 2nd place that year. Burke died in 1995 at the early age of 41. **John Buckingham won the Grand National in 1967 on Foinavon. ride Aldaniti in the Grand National. John Hurt gives a stunning performance as Bob Champion in this true story of courage, dedication and the strength of the human spirit.

John Hurt & Ceri Jackson Gregory Jones John Hurt & Edward Woodward John Buckingham & John Hurt Horses looking at the first fence John Burke John Burke jumping 'The Chair' The cancer hospital's children's ward watches the race on TV The family watch the race on TV John Hurt passes the winning post Jan Francis, John Hurt, Aldaniti & Edward Woodward Jan Francis, John Hurt, Aldaniti & Edward Woodward John Hurt on Aldaniti after the race "I rode this race for all the patients still in hospital, and for all the people who look after them. My only wish is that my winning shows them that there is always hope, and all battles can be won." (Bob Champion after his victory on Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National) Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Josh Gifford obituary | Sport | The Guardian Josh Gifford obituary Champion jockey and trainer of the National winner Aldaniti Gifford, second right, with Bob Champion (left), Aldaniti and the horse’s owner, Nick Embiricos, after the 1981 Grand National win.

Photograph: PA Friday 10 February 2012 10.48 EST First published on Friday 10 February 2012 10.48 EST Share on Messenger Close Josh Gifford, who has died aged 70 following a heart attack, was a leading figure in jump racing for four decades, a man who enjoyed success at the highest level, both as jockey and trainer. He was champion jump jockey four times and one of the few riders to have won big races both on the flat and over jumps. But his greatest moment came as a trainer, when he sent out Aldaniti and the jockey Bob Champion, who had recently recovered from testicular cancer, to win the 1981 Grand National – the denouement of a story so inspirational that it was made into a movie. From the moment that Champion was diagnosed in 1979, Gifford insisted that his job would be waiting for him when he recovered, no matter how long it took, and Champion always acknowledged how the trainer's loyalty helped him through.

Meanwhile, Aldaniti himself was giving his trainer sleepless nights, as the horse suffered a string of leg injuries which kept him out of action for long stretches. So when, at Aintree in April 1981, Aldaniti and Champion turned in a brilliant display to win the National, the famously lachrymose Gifford made no effort to hold back the tears. The 1984 film Champions – in which Gifford was played by Edward Woodward – was based on the jockey's bestselling autobiography, Champion's Story, and the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, founded in the wake of the National victory, has raised millions of pounds. The son of a farmer who rode as an amateur jockey, Gifford was born in Huntingdon, now in Cambridgeshire. He rode in gymkhanas before being apprenticed to the trainer Cliff Beechener and had his first ride in a race at the age of 11. He rode his first winner in 1956, and the same year, while still an apprentice, won the Manchester November Handicap – then one of the season's major races.

His other big-race victories on the flat included the 1957 Irish Lincoln and the Chester Cup the same year. Increasing weight caused Gifford to switch codes, and as a jump jockey he was soon establishing himself as one of the very best. In a golden age of National Hunt riders – Fred Winter , Terry Biddlecombe and Stan Mellor were in their prime – Gifford was champion four times, in the seasons 1962-63, 1963-64, 1966-67 (when his 122 winners set a new record total) and 1967-68. Off the track, he threw himself into the cavalier lifestyle of jump jockeys in those days, carousing all night in London after riding in the afternoon, then spending the next morning in the Jermyn Street Turkish baths to lose weight before setting off for that afternoon's riding action. The racing journalist Brough Scott, himself a young jump jockey in those days, wrote: "Spending one evening on the lash with him and Terry Biddlecombe would fix most people.

How they would do it week after week only their livers could tell." As a jockey, Gifford never won any of the sport's "big three" races: the Cheltenham Gold Cup (in which he never even rode), Champion Hurdle and Grand National – though one of the key images of his career is his relentless but unsuccessful pursuit of Foinavon on Honey End in the notorious 1967 National. Honey End finished runner-up, and Gifford was always convinced that he would have won, if he had not got entangled in the infamous melee at the 23rd fence. Among his 642 career winners were four at the Cheltenham National Hunt Meeting (now the Festival), and he rode the winners of four of the first five runnings of the Schweppes Gold Trophy, one of the big betting races of the season. Gifford retired from the saddle in 1970 and started training from the West Sussex yard of his former boss Ryan Price.

Although he was never champion trainer – runner-up to David Elsworth in 1987-88 was the closest he came – he sent out a stream of top-class horses as well as Aldaniti, including Deep Sensation, Bradbury Star, Vodkatini, Brief Gale, Approaching and Kybo. In 1989 he was appointed MBE. Gifford's last winner was Skycab at Sandown Park in April 2003, at which point the training operation was taken over by his son, Nick. He is survived by his wife, Althea (formerly a showjumper), and their children, Tina, herself a three-day event rider, and Nick. • Joshua Thomas Gifford, jockey and trainer, born 3 August 1941; died 9 February 2012 • This article was amended on 13 February 2012. The original said that Gifford was born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. This has been clarified.

Grand National Grand National Updated on January 11, 2017 The Grand National is held annually at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, arguably it is the biggest test of horse and jockey in the world. The grueling four and a half mile course has thirty fences, many measuring more than seven foot. with a field of forty runners the race is one of England's biggest sporting spectacle. Of the forty horses that start the race an average of just 30% will have the stamina to complete the course. On more than one occasion horses have been killed as they tackled the notorious fences. These deaths have led to animal rights campaigners calling for the race to be banned. The Grand National race is watched by over 500 million people worldwide on television, making it more popular than the NFL Super Bowl and Formula 1 car racing. The race is particulaly popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and the Far East. 2017 Grand National The schedule is set for the Grand National Horse Race, also known as the National, with the official race date of Saturday 8th April, 2017. The race is an annual event held near Liverpool, England at Aintree Racecourse.

This year's field promises to be as strong and entertaining as ever. The three-day event begins on Thursday, 6th April, 2017, with Opening Day. The first day of the Aintree Festival features the The Aintree Hurdle and the Fox Hunters’ Steeple Chase. Several entertainment events are planned for the kickoff celebration Too. The festivities continue on Friday 7th April with Ladies Day, which is a traditional event that features fashion and style from the female attendants. Various goody bags and prize giveaways for the ladies are part of the plan during this year's festivities. The focus on the ladies is not the only order of the day, of course. Every day of the championship extravaganza is a race day, as the Melling Steeple Chase is the featured race of the day. This has been a highly challenged event in the past few years and should be the same this year. The Grand National Horse Race is finally run on Saturday 8th April and is the culmination of the week's schedule. The championship has a storied past among racehorse professionals and within the British culture.

It is a specialized race industry that is native to the United Kingdom and enjoyed by everyone up to the Royal Family, who are not only big fans, but are horse owners themselves. The Grand National Horse Race is an historic event dating back officially to 1839, though there were predecessors to the first official race, and it has been an iconic representation of United Kingdom sports very similar to its professional golf tournaments. The Aintree Racecourse is one of the most difficult courses in the world and provides an excellent course to test the best of the steeple chase racehorse class. The energy infused by the local city of Liverpool, with a population of over 400,000 and a surrounding urban area of over 800,000, will make this year's championship a major success and well worth attending. Jockeys Jockey Falls During Steeple Chase Jockey A.P. McCoy falls during race Grand National History The Grand National is one of the oldest horse races in the world, it has been run each year since 1836 (Excluding the years during WW1 and WW2) the first winner of the race was a horse called 'The Duke'.

The international appeal of the race has seen a number of foreign breed horses triumph, most notable Irish horses have been the most successful in recent years, in 1938 the American horse 'Battleship' won the race, it should be no surprise to find out Battleship's father was the awesome racehorse 'Man O'War'. It should be noted that French breed horses have the worst record in the race, just one winner in the last one hundred years. The race has also featured in a number of movies, the best known being the 1944 movie 'National Velvet' a fictional account of a young girl disguising herself as a male jockey to get a ride in the race, at that time women jockeys were not allowed to enter the National - the part was played by Liz Taylor, who once quipped that her best leading man was a Horse! Today women jockeys are allowed to enter, the best finish by a woman in the race was in 1994 when Rosemary Henderson came 5th. The English Grand National is considered one of the biggest sporting events in the United Kingdom alongside the F.A.

Cup, The All English Tennis Championship (Wimbledon) and the Ashes Test Series. Because of this status the Grand National has been added to the list of government 'Protected Sport Events' these events must be shown on terrestrial T.V. channels and the broadcast rights cannot be sold domestically to Satellite broadcasters like Sky, Setanta Or Cable Channels. Full List Of Protected Sporting Events In The United Kingdom The Grand National The Derby Olympic Games It's remarkable to think now that the Grand National could have been omitted from the list. In 1973 the Grand National race was in serious trouble, under-investment at Aintree Grand National course meant that crowd numbers had dwindled to an at time low, and the owners of the course where looking to sell it off the land to a local property developer. In 1973 the course was sold to the developer Bill Davies, who promised to keep the race running. The first National under Davies ownership saw admission prices to the Aintree course tripled, many in the press speculated that 1973 would be the last running of the great race. Indeed, without the intervention of English bookmakers 'Ladbrokes' the 1973 race could have been the last.

Ladbrokes started a campaign in that year to keep the race running, eventually Ladbrokes took over the running of the race and improved the course and facilities. It is doubtful if the motives for securing the future of the race where entirely altruistic on the part of Ladbrokes, when you consider a quarter of the U.K. population bet on the Grand National annually. Grand National Legends As you can imagine as race with a history as long as the Grand Nationals has thrown up more than it's fair share of horse racing legends. Featured below are just a few of the amazing horse's who gone down in racing folklore. Red Rum Red Rum or 'Rummy' as he was affectionately known is without doubt or argument the greatest of all Grand National runners. He's historical three wins has never been bettered and even when the handicapper loaded the top weight of twelve stone on Red Rum in the 1974 race he still left the rest of the field trailing in his wake. Along with his historic three wins, Rummie also finish in second place twice in the National, on those occasions the ground on the day did not suit him.

Red Rum's achievements earned him a place as the UK's most loved horse, although Red Rum was actually Irish! His Grand National racing career ended in 1977 (he was entered into the National in '78 and '79 but injury forced him to withdraw) Red Rum continued to enjoy his celebrity status long after his racing career finished, he even appeared on the BBC's Sports Personality Of The Year T.V. show and made personal appearance's at charity events and had the honour of leading out the runners to the parade ground at Aintree on many occasions. In October 1995 Red Rum died at the age of thirty, a bronze statue has been erected at Aintree in his honour, fittingly Rummie is buried at his favourite place... The finishing post at Aintree! Foinavon The exact opposite of Red Rum, Foinavon was the least likey winner in the history of the Grand National. This notoriously laid back horse won the 1967 Grand National after every runner fell! Foinavon was so laid back that during one race he stopped to graze on a fence.

Which may account for the bookmakers quoting him as 100/1 chance on the day of the race! So badly rated was Foinavon that his owner didn't even attend the Grand National and missed out on horse's moment of glory. We all remember the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, and in 1967 Foinaon proved that slow and steady really does win the race! At the start of the race in '67 many of the fancied horses took off at a tremendous pace, leaving the plucky Foinavon well behind the leading pack. After the first few fences 'Popham Down' another unfancied horse unseated his rider and continued to run without the jockey on-board. By fence 23 Popham Down was running wildly ahead of the leading pack, just as the pack attempted to jump the fence Popham ran in front of them causing a huge pile up of horses.

Nearly all the runners fell in the ensuing melee, apart from one horse at the very back of the field, Foinavon who's jockey ( John Buckingham) had the advantage of seeing the pile up a long time before reaching it, Buckingham skillfully pulled Foinavon around the carnage and jumped the fence cleanly, Foinavon and Buckingham then began the long run for the finishing post, even with a huge lead in the race Foinavon was nearly caught in the final furlongs by a horse who had fallen, been remounted and continued to run the course. In the end Foinavon had just enough in the tank to complete the most remarkable victory in the National. In honour of the victory fence 23 was renamed 'Foinavon' You can view the amazing 1967 Grand National below. Foinavons Victory In 67 Devon Loch We move from one of the luckiest Grand National winners of all time (Foinavon) to one of the unluckiest losers 'Devon Loch'.

The 1956 Grand National saw HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother horse Devon Loch entered into the famous race, the Royal Family have been keen supporters of racing in the U.K. and that's why racing is still known today as the sport of Kings. Dick Francis, who went on to become a famous Author was the jockey on-board Devon Loch. Dick and Devon put in a near flawless run that day clearing all the 30 fences cleanly, before headed into the final furlongs well ahead of the nearest second placed horse 'E.S.B' ridden by Dave Dick. As Devon Loch approached the finishing post the horse suddenly and without reason appeared to jump into the air and then collapsed in a heap on the turf! E.S.B. flew past Devon Loch and won the '56 National as jockey Dick Francis tried desperately to get the horse back on track. Many theories have been put forward as to why the horse collapsed in such dramatic fashion, at first it was rumour that Devon Loch had suffered a heart attack. However, the Aintree course vet ruled this out.

Dick Francis maintains to this day that the cause of the collapse was the immense noise made by the crowd in the home straight as it became clear to the punters on course that the Queen Mother was going to get her first National winner! It may seem strange to younger generations but the Queen Mother was a hugely loved and respected by the general public and particularly those who shared her passion for horse racing. You will often hear sports commentators refer to teams or sportsmen 'Doing A Devon Loch' is used as a metaphor used to explain sudden or last minutes failures. The Queen Mother who was at Aintree to witness the events that day reportedly turn to an aid and said "Oh, that's racing". Some years later the Queen Mother met the winning jockey Dave Dick and enquired "What did you think when my horse fell down?" to which Dave Dick replied "I was absolutely delighted, Ma'am," It's goes without saying that he never got a Knighthood! Bob Champion and Aldaniti True sporting legends are usually made, not born. A few greats have been destined for fame since birth though. Bob Champion is one of these natural-born legends, but his courage and dedication are the qualities for which he is most admired.

Champion, born in Yorkshire, England in 1948, was surrounded by riders and hunters from the very beginning. His father was an avid huntsman who took young Bob riding frequently. These early experiences instilled in him the love of horses and riding that would eventually carry him to a Grand National championship. At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race. After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. His special way with the horses continued to win him races, as well as respect. He also proved to have a special way with women. His tempestuous love affairs were well-known and sometimes amusing to those around him. Champion tried his luck racing in America and continued to enjoy success. His career eventually took him back to Britain, where he had dreams of winning the Grand National. He raced in the Grand National eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life took a major detour on the way to fulfilling his dreams. In 1979, Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In true Champion fashion, Bob refused to believe that his doctors were correct.

He stubbornly insisted that there was a mistake in the diagnosis. The diagnosis wasn't wrong. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live, with only a 40 percent chance of survival. Things looked grim, but he was given a second chance. An extremely aggressive program of chemotherapy, if begun immediately, might just beat the odds. Champion agreed to begin the treatment the very same day. Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer and told that they will most likely die within months would take some time away from work. Not Bob Champion. He returned to training and racing while still in treatment and set his sights on winning the 1980 Grand National. Unfortunately, Champion's treatment had not been easy on his body. A large-scale infection nearly claimed his life and he was forced to put off his Grand National ambitions temporarily. Champion was soon recovering from his various hardships and back in training. In 1981, he rode Aldaniti in the Grand National. The two were a perfect pair: both hard-working, stubborn and recovering from serious health problems. Champion's cancer and Aldaniti's three leg injuries caused almost everyone to speculate that the team wouldn't get near the winner's circle.

The two survivors melded on the Aintree Racecourse that April day in 1981. Their victory is one of the most memorable and emotional moments ever to be recorded in horse racing. Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history. After his Grand National championship, Bob Champion continued to race and win until 1983. By that time, he had approximately 500 wins to his credit. After leaving racing, he focused his energy on training horses and running the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The charity has raised millions of pounds for cancer research and Champion continues to raise funds for it to this day. Although Aldaniti died in 1997 and Bob Champion retired from training horses in 1999, they are both legends of the horse racing world. Their legacy is a sense of hope for all those who follow in their paths. They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump. How To Spot A National Winner Many people think that it's very difficult to pick a Grand National winner.

After all, the race is four miles long with over 30 fences and has forty horses competing. Surely this race is more about pure luck than jockey skill or horse ability. This is the public perception of the race, in fact the seeming unpredictability nature the race is one of the reason it's so popular with the general public. For many people betting on the Grand National is the only time in the year that they wager money on horse racing. Generally the people who bet on this race do not study racing form, have no knowledge about the quality of the horses running and most will bet on a horse whose name means something to them or they will randomly select a horse using the time honoured method of closing their eyes and sticking a pin the newspaper! People use these methods because the common misconception is that the Grand National is more of a lottery than a horse race. This couldn't be further from the truth! If you take a look at type of horses that actually win the race you start to see a very familiar pattern. Using this pattern of past winners you can discount nearly three quarters of the runners instantly, that's right! Nearly three quarters of the field has absolutely no chance of winning. You might ask how you can discount so many runners instantly?

Well, lets take a look at the record books and see what type of horse's haven't won the Grand National in the last 20 years. French Horses ~ Only one French horse has won the National for 100 years! Mon Mome in 2009 (100/1) American Horses ~ No American winner in the last 20 years! Young Horses ~ No horse younger than 8 has won in the last 20 years! Weight ~ Only 1 winner carrying more than 11 stone in the last 20 years! Odds ~ Only 2 winners lower than 10/1 odds in the last 20 years! So now you know what kind of horses to avoid, lets take a look at the type of horse which have won in the last 20 years. Irish Horses ~ The Irish take few things in life as seriously as horse racing, so look for Irish owned and breed horses, especially those of J.P. McManus.

Long Distance Experience ~ The National is a massively long run for any horse, only look the runners with experience and wins over 3+ miles Watch The Weight ~ Horses carrying around between 10 and 11 stone have the best chance of winning If you apply the above tips to this years runners you will only be left with about 10 horses which fit the bill. If you bet on one of the ten horses each~way, then you will get a return even if it comes in 4th, dramatically increasing you chances of picking a winner. Grand National history: Aldaniti just Champion - Channel 4 Racing Home > Preview & Reaction > Grand National history: Aldaniti just Champion Grand National history: Aldaniti just Champion 27 Mar 2013 13:48 pm A year after his Aintree success, Aldaniti was retired from racing A year after his Aintree success, Aldaniti was retired from racing Aldaniti wins after major injury, ridden by cancer survivor Bob Champion (1981) Channel 4 racing presenter Nick Luck was only three when Aldaniti provided one of the most endearing memories for many casual racing watchers.

And despite his tender years, Nick also recalls events well. "It was one of the great Grand Nationals. Aldaniti had come back from two serious tendon injuries – he was the horse they said would never race again. And Bob Champion, who’d fought testicular cancer and was almost written off by the doctors, came back, was promised he’d keep the ride - and did. "The horse and jockey not only won the race but won quite easily, and the story was all the more robust because the jockey in second, John Thorne, was one of the oldest Grand National participants in history, aged 54. It was a tremendous race." Aldaniti emerged from the pack with a strong run up the outside of the field between the Canal Turn and Valentine’s on the first circuit. His solid jumping and steady gallop allowed him to shake off the rest of the field one by one, except Royal Mail, who looked likely to lay down a strong challenge until making a bad mistake at the second last fence. Spartan Missile, the 8-1 favourite with John Thorne riding, was the one finishing fastest but he had left himself too much to do.

The heroic success of Aldaniti and Bob Champion kick-started a season of celebration in Britain, with a royal wedding and a famous win in the Ashes to follow. Aged 12, Aldaniti made a second Grand National attempt in 1982 but fell at the first fence and was retired from racing. He made many appearances with Bob, helping to raise millions for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The duo's triumph over adversity was told in the 1984 film Champions. Aldaniti’s trainer Josh Gifford, whose loyalty towards Champion - and all the other jockeys he employed - never wavered, died in 2012 after training more than 1,500 winners from his Sussex stables.

Question: Which jockey won the 1981 Grand National after beating cancer?
Answer: Bob Champion